From the ancient world's first attempts at a written alphabet to medieval illuminated manuscripts, and from Art Nouveau posters to punk rock album covers, this history of graphic design doubles as an overview of human culture. Among the more than 250 images here are the Rosetta Stone, the Magna Carta, a Gutenberg Bible, and the cover of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, along with a diverse array of book covers, company logos, magazine spreads, and propaganda posters. The artists represented include William Morris, Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, El Lissitzky, and László Moholy-Nagy, although quite a few of the masterpieces shown were crafted by anonymous artisans. Patrick Cramsie traces the remarkable evolution of book design in particular, explaining the imapct of religious zeal, moveable type, pop culture, and the avant-garde movements of the early 20th century.